My car got a flat tire yesterday on a remote highway and I'd never changed a tire in my life. I'm having trouble getting the jack positioned correctly and I don't want to damage anything. What's the right way to do this without messing up the wheel or the car?
First of all, put your car on firm, flat ground, shift into P (or first gear if it's manual) and engage the handbrake - this is essential so the car doesn't slide while the jack lifts everything up. The jack always fits at a specific point next to the wheel, usually there are some small plastic or metal tabs that mark the right spot, and you turn it vertically until the wheel lifts off the ground, then you just loosen the lug nuts with the wheel wrench, carefully remove the wheel and put on the spare.
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